Formaldehyde composition and the preparation thereof.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL M. MCCARTHY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

FORMALDEHYDE COMPOSITION AND THE PREPARATION THEREOF.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, DANIEL M. Mc- CARTHY, a subject of the King of England, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklymin the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Formaldehyde (loinposition and the Preparation Thereof, of which the following is; a full. clear. and exact description.

My invention relates to a composition of matter for sterilizing. disinfecting, and medicinal purposes. An object of the invention is to provide a homogeneous. consistent mass including formaldehyde adapted to emanate from the mass to sterilize or disinfect the surrounding atmosphere. A further object of the invention is to provide a composition of matter of the class described which is compressible and easily deformed, whereby it can be shaped into any desired form or stored in containers of any con figuration. A still further object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive.

and expeditious method of preparing the composition of matter.

I am aware that solids containing formaldehyde have been previously obtained, but the purpose of incorporating the formaldehyde is to disinfect the composition formed, and not to produce a composition from which formaldehyde will emanate to sterilize the surroundin atmosphere. Such a composition containing formaldehyde was most commonly in the form of a soap. the incorporated formaldehyde forming a disinfectant for the soap so as to prevent contamination by the use of the soap by different persons.

A solution of formaldehyde'as hitherto employed for sterilization has the defect of emanating the formaldehyde from the solu tion nonuniformly but inversely proportional to the time it is exposed. That is to say, when the solution is fresh the emanation is very rapid and the sterilizing and disinfecting effects thereof are very great, but after awhile its efficiency is so materially impaired that the said solution has substantially no sterilizing or disinfecting properties. Furthermore, a solution of formaldehyde cannot be used conveniently in portable containers to be maintained sterilized, for the solution may be spilled.

To obviate the above defects I have pro Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May '7, 1918.

Application filed December 17, 1915. Serial No. 67,381

duced a homogeneous consistent mass (01? taining formaldehyde which will en'ianate 50 uniformly that its sterilizing and disinfect ing properties are substantially uniform through a long period of time as compared with a solution of formaldehydc. Being consistcnt mass t can he used in any con tainer without danger of being spilled. Further, the mass being coniprcssible and easily shaped permits the partial filling of a container without dan e of he nuns moving Within the root- 'l'him ws hi. further. adhe ive ualitirs. no that The same can be easily attached to a surface Without danger of said run s mov ng here-Wynn.

My compoi-silion i form d of a ion-it jelly-like nun: tltltllllitti to absorb a large quantity of Water and formaldehyde. jelly-like mass is nonallnuninous and 1m 1 erably of vegetable ori im containing gr ose and pertaining to the class of water :llg'at'. Particularly, use is made of agar-agar also known as Japanese isinglass. The composition. is formed as follows: F or each one 111.111drcd grams of. cold water five grams of aganagar is used. The same is digested in the cold Water for a fen lions and, hen heated, causing the agar-agar to dissolve in the Water. To the so-dissolred solution one hundred grams of 40C solution of formaldehyde is added. the solution of agar-agar icing stirred during the addition of the for maldehyde. The mixture is then poured into any desired molds and allowed to set. Any desired coloring matter inert to the formaldehyde and agar-agar may be added While the mass is fluid the coloring matter giving to the composition a nicer appearance Without in any Way impairing the qualities thereof. The coloring matters I prefer to use are the anilin dyes. The composition Whcn set is plastic, slightly compressiblc and of such a. consistency that it will keep any shape given to it. It can be easily forced into vessels of various forms and will occupy any part thereof without moving therein, for the jelly-like substance is of adhesive naturc causing it to stick on the surface where it is placed.

While the above proportions of ingredients forming the composition give the best results, variations in said proportions can be made Without materially impairing the cilicicncy of the compound. With vegetable gelose containing substances the quantity of l' ni|wLlf1Glt'd0 can b0 greatly reduced, puttil'ulurl when will golosu containing Hill slam-es mm utilized as laxatives.

A large number of tests with the compo- Hil'lul] llilh shown that the emanation of tmmnlrlehydo from the jelly-like substance lb substantially uniform for 2L long pmziml of time. The exact reasons are not clear, lnu it is presumed that it is due to the abs-20PM- tinqualities of the jell vliko substuni'e.

I claim:

1. A new composition of matter consisting of a 5% solution of agar-agar mixed with :1

40% solution of fol'i'lmllobydv, in equal ]n'nportions.

.5. A new uonipositiouof uulller consisting of a 55% solution of vegetable suhstmico Pom-mining 'el-ose, and a, *LO-A, solution of forumldehycfe, in equal n'oportions.

In testimony Wl'im'oof have sigmul my name to this specification in the prseumof two subscribing witnesses.

DANIEL M. MCCAR'IH Y.

Witnesses:

EUGENE Dom, JOHN WATT.

0on1" of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Communion! of Patents,

w auhington, ll. 0. 

